Updated October 2026. For sellers comparing a flat fee broker with a traditional commission broker. Competitor prices are from their own pricing pages, read October 20, 2026.
A flat fee brokerage is a licensed real estate broker that charges a set price for defined services instead of a percentage of your sale price. As of October 2026, the entry MLS plans we checked ran from $85 to $399 upfront, and some add a fee at closing. A commission broker is paid a negotiated share of the price at closing, usually with full service included (our guide on how to choose a real estate broker lists the questions to ask both).
Want the flat fee route? See Beycome’s flat fee packages: Basic is $99 with $0 at closing.
Jump to: 🏢 The models · 💲 Prices compared · 🤝 How to choose · 📍 Florida and Georgia · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- Flat fee MLS plans we compared start at $85 to $399, but closing fees range from $0 to 1.25% depending on the company and plan.
- Photos and listing term vary a lot at the same price: 6 photos and 6 months on one $99 plan, MLS-maximum photos and up to 24 months on another.
- Commission brokers bundle pricing, marketing, showings and negotiation. Their fee is negotiable and not set by law.
- NAR’s 2025 Profile found 91% of sellers used an agent and 5% sold by owner.
Both models can get a home sold. The question is which services you want someone else to do, and how you’d rather pay for them. We’re a flat fee brokerage, so we’ve put our own plan in the comparison and used the same columns for everyone.
What is a flat fee brokerage, and how is it different from a commission broker?
A flat fee brokerage sells a defined service, most often an MLS listing, for one price agreed upfront, while a commission broker earns a percentage at closing. A commission broker, the traditional model, handles the sale from pricing to closing. The fee is a percentage of the price, agreed with you in the listing agreement and paid at closing. Many sellers like that the broker only gets paid if the home sells.
A flat fee broker sells a defined service for a set price. The most common is a flat fee MLS listing: the broker puts your home on the local MLS, which feeds Zillow, Realtor.com and many other sites, and you handle showings and negotiation. Some flat fee brokers also sell higher tiers with photos, signs or a person who negotiates with you. Ask how many listing changes a plan includes after it goes live.
A “fee-based” or “commission-free” platform usually means one of those flat fee models. Read what’s included, because the label alone doesn’t tell you. Our guide to listing on the MLS without a realtor shows how the MLS part works.
| Task | Commission broker | Flat fee MLS broker |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing advice | Included | Tools or paid add-on |
| MLS listing and syndication | Included | Included |
| Photos and marketing | Included | Varies by plan |
| Showings | Agent schedules and attends | You, often with a scheduling tool |
| Negotiation | Agent | You, or a higher tier |
| How you pay | A % of price at closing, negotiable | Upfront flat fee, sometimes plus a closing fee |
What does a commission broker cost?
It’s whatever you negotiate. As an example only, 3% of $420,000, the median selling price of all homes in NAR’s 2025 Profile, is $12,600. Commissions are not set by law or NAR rules and are fully negotiable. You choose whether to offer any buyer-agent compensation, and how much, and since August 17, 2024, under NAR’s settlement practice changes, such offers can’t be shown on the MLS.
For what that money buys, and how to talk about the rate, see our guides to low commission real estate agents and 1% commission alternatives. Our commission calculator guide lets you run your own numbers.
How do flat fee broker prices compare?
Here are entry MLS plans side by side, compared on the same items. Each competitor figure was read on its own pricing page on October 20, 2026. “Not stated” means the page didn’t say.
| Item | Brokerless $99 | Homecoin | List With Freedom Gold | Houzeo Bronze | Beycome Basic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront | $99 | $149 | $89 | $399 | $99 |
| Fee at closing | $0 | $0 | 0.5% | $0 | $0 |
| Photos on the MLS | 6 | Max | 25 | 25 | Max the MLS allows |
| Listing term | 6 months | 12 months | 6 months | 6 months | Max the state and MLS allow** |
| Showing scheduling | ShowingTime $50 add-on | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | ShowingTime included, where available |
| Offers and e-sign | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Offer dashboard and e-signature |
| Negotiation help | Not stated | Paid agent options | Not stated | Higher plans | Artur AI; experts on Concierge |
| Cancellation | Not stated | No cost, if no accepted offer | No fee if no pending contract; no refund once listed | Allowed if no active or accepted offers | No fee*; no refund once listed |
Other plans charge more at closing. Houzeo’s Silver, Gold and Platinum plans add 0.5% to 1.25% at closing, with a $999 minimum commission on those plans, per its pricing page. HomeZu’s Florida and Texas plans list a 0.1% transaction fee at closing. Unreal Estate lists $85 plus 0.5% at closing. Brokerless’s $188 plan adds more photos and a 12-month term. Several of these companies cover more states than we do; Beycome lists in 17 states and DC.
For a longer, ranked look at each company, see our list of flat fee MLS companies in the US. To add up closing fees and add-ons on your own price, use our guide on listing on the MLS without overpaying.
How do you choose a flat fee broker?
Ask these before you pay:
- Is there any fee at closing, even a “compliance” or “transaction” fee?
- How many photos go on the MLS, and how long does the listing stay up?
- Which MLS will my home be on, and how fast does it go live?
- Who answers my questions, by what channel, and on which days?
- What happens if I want to cancel, and is anything refunded?
- Can I upgrade later to get help with negotiation?
Look for a fee structure you can read on one page. If a plan says “flat fee” but adds a percentage at closing, do the math on your price. And check the other case too: do you pay a flat fee if your house doesn’t sell? On a $420,000 sale, 0.5% is $2,100 on top of the upfront fee.
What about customer service?
People searching for “alternatives to large brokerages with better customer service” usually want two things: a real answer fast, and the same person or team each time. Ask each broker for their support hours and channels in writing. Beycome support runs Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6:30pm ET, and Saturday, 9am to 5pm ET, by call, chat and email in English and Spanish.
For neutral consumer guidance on home buying and selling money questions, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has free tools. For legal basics on listing agreements, Nolo explains terms in plain English. Our guide to types of listing agreements covers what you sign.
Sell smarter
List your home on the MLS from $99
A flat fee instead of a percentage, and $0 to Beycome at closing. You stay in control of your sale.
Sell your home →Buy smarter
Get up to 2% back at closing
On homes listed by other agents, Beycome credits you up to 2% of the price at closing (1% kept, $1,499 minimum; not on FSBO homes or homes listed by Beycome sellers).
Buy a home →How does Beycome’s flat fee model work?
With a Beycome flat fee MLS listing, you pick one of three packages, each with $0 at closing. Basic is $99. Enhanced is $399 and adds a professional photo session, a yard sign and MLS listing in 36 hours or less. Every package includes e-signature, unlimited listing changes, ShowingTime where the MLS offers it, and the Artur AI assistant for offers.
If you’d like full support, Beycome Concierge is $1,399, $0 at closing. Experts work on negotiation and paperwork with you all the way to closing, and you stay in control of every decision. Beycome is licensed in 18 states and DC, and 22,000+ homeowners have saved over $225 million with it (Beycome internal data, October 2026). Concierge is $1,399 and Basic is $129 in California and Illinois.
Buying too? The Beycome buyer program is open to every buyer on homes listed by other agents (the commission credit can’t apply where no buyer-agent commission is offered, like most FSBO homes, or on homes listed by Beycome sellers), with no upfront fee; part of the buyer-agent commission offered is credited back at closing.
What are the flat fee benefits in Florida and Georgia?
The benefits are the same anywhere: a known cost upfront and control of your sale. Local rules change the details. In Florida, Beycome Title can also close the sale, with a $99 settlement fee when prepaid on beycome.com. In Georgia, Beycome lists on Georgia MLS and other regional MLSs, but not on FMLS; Georgia MLS charges a mandatory $25 cancellation fee. Our guides to selling by owner in Florida and the FMLS special closing fee in metro Atlanta cover each state.
Related reading: our Flat Fee Group review.
Ready to compare for yourself? Start a Beycome listing on the major home search sites and the MLS, and keep every decision about your sale.
Frequently asked questions
What is a flat fee broker?
A licensed broker that charges a set price for defined services, such as an MLS listing, instead of a percentage of the sale price.
How much does a flat fee brokerage cost?
Entry MLS plans ran $85 to $399 upfront in our October 2026 check. Some brokerages add up to 1.25% at closing, so add both parts on your own price. Beycome Basic is $99 with $0 at closing.
Does a flat fee brokerage put my home on the MLS?
Yes. Only a licensed broker can enter a listing on the MLS, and that is the core service a flat fee brokerage sells. The MLS then feeds the major home search sites.
Is a flat fee broker better than a commission broker?
Neither is right for everyone. A commission broker does more of the work for a negotiated percentage. A flat fee broker costs less upfront and leaves more of the work, and the control, with you.
Do flat fee brokers charge anything at closing?
Some do. In our October 2026 check, closing fees ranged from $0 to 1.25% depending on the company and plan. Beycome charges $0 at closing.
What is a fee-based real estate brokerage?
Usually a brokerage that charges flat or a la carte fees rather than a percentage commission. Check exactly which services the fee covers.
Is a commission-free platform really free?
“Commission-free” usually means no listing commission, not no cost. Expect an upfront fee, and check for closing fees and add-ons.
Are real estate commissions fixed?
No. They’re not set by law or NAR rules and are negotiable. Sellers choose whether to offer buyer-agent compensation.
Competitor prices and terms are from each company’s own website, read October 20, 2026, and may have changed; “not stated” means the page didn’t say. Beycome prices as of October 2026. “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing; other closing costs, taxes, title and any agreed buyer-agent compensation still apply. * No cancellation fee, except Georgia MLS’s mandatory $25; listings under contract can’t be canceled; no refund once the listing is live. ** Listing term is the maximum the state and MLS allow: 24 months, 12 in MD and PA.
Basic and Enhanced get offer and negotiation help from the Artur AI assistant, not a person; experts negotiate on Concierge. Concierge $1,399. Beycome Title operates in Florida, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. Buyer program: Beycome keeps 1% of the price (minimum $1,499); the rest is credited at closing, subject to lender approval. General information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Competitor pricing pages (Brokerless, Homecoin, List With Freedom, Houzeo, HomeZu, Unreal Estate), read October 20, 2026.
- NAR, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
- NAR, what the settlement means for buyers and sellers.
- Beycome, listing package features, October 2026.
Disclosure & Disclaimer
Beycome provides real estate services through affiliated licensed brokerages and has a commercial interest in the services and business models discussed on this blog. Content reflects Beycome’s perspective and may promote our services; it should not be treated as independent or neutral reporting.
Articles are provided for general informational and educational purposes only, not as financial, tax, legal, or investment advice or a recommendation for your particular situation. Reading this blog does not create a brokerage, advisory, or other professional relationship.
Information, opinions, pricing, service descriptions, and comparisons reflect the sources and information available when an article was published or last updated and may change. Although we aim for accuracy, we do not guarantee that all content is complete, current, or applicable to your circumstances. Laws, market conditions, and service availability vary by location. Examples and estimated savings are illustrative, depend on stated assumptions, and do not guarantee individual results.
Verify relevant information directly and consult qualified professionals before making decisions. Beycome services are subject to applicable agreements, eligibility requirements, and state-specific terms.
